Energy Conservation: Andhra Pradesh Shows The Way

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh has been praised by the Union power ministry for its outstanding efforts to promote energy efficiency and conservation in a mission mode by using proven energy efficiency measures.

Union power minister R.K. Singh said at a national-level review conference that India has committed to achieving 40% of cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuels as per nationally decided contributions by 2030, as per the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Singh emphasised the need to establish a national carbon market to promote renewable energy technology on a large scale, which may lead to the economy's decarbonization and the mobilisation of foreign funds for GHG reduction.

Andhra Pradesh, according to Power Secretary Alok Kumar, has become a role model for energy conservation and efficiency by establishing a dedicated/stand-alone state-designated agency (SDA) with its AP State Energy Conservation Mission and selecting the chief secretary as the chairman. Only Andhra Pradesh and Kerala have constituted stand-alone SDAs, according to him, out of 36 state-designated agencies. They are the forerunners in the development of a mechanism known as Stand Alone SDA.

He stated that the Union power ministry will revise the Energy Conservation Act of 2001 to require all states to have state energy efficiency agencies (SEEAs).

Abhay Bakre, the Director-General of BEE, stated that BEE's energy efficiency and conservation operations will result in a reduction of 557 million tonnes of CO2 per year by 2030.

Srikant Nagulapalli, the state's energy secretary, noted that AP is the first state to issue a G.O. (Rt.89) requiring all government agencies, autonomous organisations, and society to establish energy conservation cells to encourage energy conservation.

He also noted that the government has issued an energy conservation building code (ECBC), which requires energy-saving measures in commercial and non-residential buildings. He went on to say that the state effectively implemented the PAT (Perform, Achieve, Trade) plan in energy-intensive businesses, saving 0.21 Mtoe (Million Tonnes of Oil Equivalent) in cycle one and 0.295 Mtoe in cycle two.